The invention relates to a device for transporting separated sections of a continuous recording substrate from a recording mechanism.
A device of this type is known from IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin Vol. 14, No. 12, May 1972, pages 3751 and 3752. In this, the separated sections are grasped by means of a dedicated transport device and transported away to the side. The transport device is driven, via a complicated, mechanical transmission mechanism, by the constantly revolving drive shaft of the recording mechanism.
From German reference DE-A-23 43 858, (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,252) a device for transporting sections of a recording substrate from a recording mechanism is known, the recording mechanism having a cutting unit for separating the sections from the recording substrate, which cutting unit can be moved, in a cutting stroke and a return stroke, transversely to the direction of transport of the recording substrate across its width. The prior art document, however, contains no references as to how the separated sections can be transported or issued following the cutting operation.
German reference DE-A-35 22 022 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,663,638) shows a printing mechanism having a blade connected downstream from the printing area and having a plurality of pairs of offtake rollers for the sections. The type of blade is not however described in detail. Nor can it be deduced from this prior art document whether the drives for the blade and for the offtake roller pairs are interactive.
German reference DE-A-32 02 264 shows a paper-cutting device in which a cylindrical rotary blade extending across the entire printer width is moved by the same drive motor as the paper transport roller. In the one direction of rotation the blade is driven and in the opposite direction of rotation the transport roller is driven. A freewheeling mechanism is assigned to both drives.